The Pirate Bay (TPB), the most notorious online platform for disseminating copyright-infringing files, recently regained its spot as the world’s top torrent site. The platform’s stubborn 17-year existence shows how much work policymakers have left to do in order to curb illegal access to digital content, even though in the case of TPB the work is as simple as mandating Internet service providers to block it.

There has been a surprising amount of handwringing over whether the big shift to working from home under COVID quarantines will “break the Internet,” especially from some seeking more government regulation or direct government provision of broadband. In fact, there is little reason to worry—our nation’s networks are handling these changes in usage patterns with relative ease.

President Trump has long argued that the postal system under-prices package delivery, and that it should raise the prices. So, now it appears the administration will hold USPS hostage, not allowing it to borrow funds until it capitulates to White House pressure and raise package prices.

In the wake of economic downturns, companies are forced to cut costs, often turning to R&D activities, which have a low impact on short-term revenue. A new study has isolated one of the mechanisms through which this takes place by examining patenting in the years after different kinds of economic crises.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed gaps in society’s digital readiness for social distancing. If policymakers seize the opportunity to address these gaps, they can make it easier to manage the next pandemic while providing significant long-term social and economic benefits.

As the urgency of finding a treatment and vaccine for the coronavirus accelerates, dozens of American biomedical companies, startups and universities are rushing to develop COVID-19 therapeutics. There’s a good chance the Bayh-Dole Act will play a critical behind-the-scenes role in facilitating these efforts.

Geothermal energy has yet to follow the trajectory of rapidly expanding, cheap renewables like wind and solar. To unlock the enormous potential of this clean, reliable source of energy, the federal government can drive innovation and address barriers to adoption.